Adventure Time for D&D 5e – Part 1: Species

Back in 2014, I ran a 4th edition D&D game set in the world of Adventure Time. I used a fantastic Adventure Time homebrew mod of D&D 4e, by Bloodghost, to run the game. After writing about post-apocalyptic fantasy settings last week, I’ve decided I wanted to take a crack at providing some support for running an Adventure Time campaign in 5th edition. I’ll be drawing from D20 Modern, Modern Magic and the 4th edition homebrew along with providing my own ideas. This article is part 1 and provides a bunch of new species you can use in any D&D game.

Watching Adventure Time isn’t required to play in this setting, but it really helps. Any of this material could be used in your own homebrew setting or to get started on playing a game in this setting.

I’ll be breaking this down into four parts and releasing another chapter each week.

About the Setting

Adventure Time is a Cartoon Network show set in Earth’s future about a thousand years after the Great Mushroom War, where magic has come back into the world. Series creator Pendleton Ward described the setting as “candyland on the surface and dark underneath” and he recently was at Wizards of the Coast working with Chris Perkins working on “something”. Using Adventure Time setting can provide a way to get fans of the show to try out tabletop RPGs.

The Land of Ooo is a place of wonder and mystery populated by goblins, wizards, ogres, candy people, and countless other weird and amazing creatures. It’s a world renewed after a nuclear apocalypse, where magic and science intertwine. This is the land in which Adventure Time takes place.

SPECIES

For the species below I have used Common as the language, but in the show this language sounds and looks like American English. The appearance of many of these species is really only limited by the imagination of the player, have fun!

Animal Person

Animal people come from all over the Land of Ooo. They come in any shape or size and species that include bears, cats, dogs, pigs and cute little elephants. Animal people are a flexible option for you or your players to create anything that can talk on 2 legs (or even 4 in some cases).

Ability Score Increase. You can raise one ability score by 2 and another ability score by 1, but these should match the type of animal you are. Here are some quick examples you could use or create your own…

Bear (Party): Dexterity +2, Charisma +1

Cat: Dexterity +2, Wisdom +1

Dog (St. Bernard): Strength +2, Constitution +1

Little Elephant: Charisma +2, Intelligence +1

Size. Small or Medium

Speed. 30 ft.

Skill Versatility. You gain proficiency in two skills of your choice, but these should match the type of animal you are. Here are some quick examples you could use or create your own…

Bear (Party): Acrobatics, Performance

Cat: Acrobatics, Stealth

Dog (St. Bernard): Medicine, Survival

Languages. You can speak, read and write Common and you can speak and understand the language of animals.

Breakfast Person

Breakfast people come from the Breakfast Kingdom in the Desert of Doom. They come in any shape or size, such as an egg, bowl of cereal, strip of bacon or flapjack. They function best in the mornings and are often high-strung due to the large amounts of coffee and sugar in their blood. Their clothing and equipment will most often be made of breakfast food.

Ability Score Increase. Making the most important meal of the day a priority, gives you wisdom and strength. Wisdom score increases by 2 and Strength score increases by 1.

Size. Small or Medium

Speed. 30 ft.

Natural Healer. You have proficiency in the Medicine skill.

Early to Rise. In the morning you’re ready to take on the world, but by noon these effects have ended.

You cannot be put to sleep by magic

You can’t be surprised while you are conscious.

You gain a +5 bonus to initiative.

Coffee Blood. You can draw on the caffeine in your blood to briefly become hyper aware of your surroundings, gaining advantage on your next Perception (Wisdom) or Insight (Wisdom) check. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Languages. You can speak, read and write Common.

Candy Person

Candy people come from the Candy Kingdom. They are sweet and fun loving and enjoy the company of others. They can be made of anything from ice cream to cupcakes, as long as it is sweet and tasty.

Ability Score Increase. You like being around people and working on your dance moves at parties. Charisma score increases by 2 and Dexterity score increases by 1.

Size. Small or Medium

Speed. 30 ft.

Dancing Machine. Attending countless dance parties has gives you proficiency in the Performance skill and advantage on Performance skill checks that involve dancing.

Candybalism. When you find yourself in trouble, you can take a nibble of yourself to gain some health. On your turn, you can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to one hit die, consuming that hit die. Starting at level 10, you can regain hit points equal to two hit dice. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Languages. You can speak, read and write Common.

Cloud Person

Hey brah! Cloud people are from the collegiate like atmosphere of the Cloud Kingdom, led by the Dean of Clouds. Cloud people look like humanoids made of clouds that can float and form friendships that are like fraternal bonds.

Ability Score Increase. Most cloud people love to spend their days attending parties and throwing footballs in the quad. Charisma score increases by 2 and Strength score increases by 1.

Size. Medium

Speed. 15 ft., fly 30 ft.

Natural Athlete. You have proficiency in the Athletics skill.

Float It Up. You can fly up to twice your fly speed, but you must land at the end of your turn. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Languages. You can speak, read and write Common.

Flame Person

Flame people are from the Fire Kingdom and rarely head out into the cold outside world. Flame people look like balls of fire, usually made up of molten lava and chunks of igneous rocks

Fire Absorption. Whenever you are subjected to fire damage, you take no damage and regain a number of hit points equal to the fire damage dealt.

Flame On. As a reaction to a creature touching or hitting you with a melee attack while within 5 ft., you can make a melee attack (proficiency + constitution modifier) to blast them with fire, for 5 (1d10) fire damage plus your constitution modifier on a hit. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Illumination. You can shed a bright light in a 10 foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. You can reduce your flame to produce an aura of dim light in a 5 foot radius.

Languages. You can speak, read and write Common.

Hot Dog

Hot dog people come from the tiny pen-shaped Hot Dog Kingdom. Hot Dog people tend to be really enthusiastic and not very bright. They look like little hot dog shaped humanoid dogs.

Strong Stomach. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.

Naturally Stealthy. You can attempt to hide even when you are obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than you.

I’m Tiny! You can pass through the space of any creature that is a size larger than yours.

Peer Pressure. As a bonus action, you can cheer on an ally within 60 feet that can hear you so hard that you convince them to attempt something crazy they normally wouldn’t try. The ally gains advantage on their next skill check. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Languages. You can speak, read and write Common.

Human

Finn, Simon (when he is not Ice King) and Betty might be the last humans in Ooo. To play as a human (not be be confused with Hyoomans), consult the Player’s Handbook. Humans are pretty much extinct, so human characters are extremely rare or you can even make the species unavailable.

Lemon Person

Lemon people live under the tyrannical rule of the Earl of Lemongrab. Lemon people adventurers would be one of the very few who escaped to travel the world, like the legendary Lemonhope (who will return to save all Lemonfolk). Years of oppression often make lemon people sour to the world with little empathy. The Lemon People have varied appearances with some resembling animals, plants, or fungi more than humanoids.

Ability Score Increase. You have lived under continuous oppression which has made you tough and strong. Constitution score increases by 2 and Strength score increases by 1.

Size. Small or Medium

Speed.30 ft.

Tortured Soul. You have learned from the best and are proficient with Intimidation. Anyone who tries to use the Intimidation skill against you has disadvantage.

The Juice. As a reaction to taking piercing or slashing damage you can squirt juice at your attacker. The attacker must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw (DC is 8 + your Constitution Modifier + your proficiency) or be blinded until the end of your next turn. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Languages.You can speak, read and write Common.

Lumpy Space Person

“Lumpers” hail from Lumpy Space and are made of irradiated stardust. They are known for their love of gossip and drama bombs. These people appear as floating lump covered globs and are typically violet or a pastel color. They are usually bossy, opinionated, talk in thick valley girl accents and are often oblivious, but also are brave and fun loving.

Ability Score Increase. Keeping track of all the gossip and lies is hard work. Charisma score increases by 2 and Intelligence score increases by 1.

Size. Medium

Speed. fly 30 ft.

Float. You have a flying speed of 30 feet and you float around instead of walking, albeit at a limited altitude and you can’t fly any higher than 5′ off the ground, without “jumping”.

Bluff. You have proficiency in the Deception skill.

Drama Bomb. You drop some seriously shocking gossip on all listening ears. All enemies within a 30 foot radius that can hear you must make make an Intelligence saving throw (DC is 8 + your Charisma Modifier + your proficiency). On a failed save, a creature is Stunned. A target that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to your drama bombs for the next 24 hours.

Bite Me (Optional). Melee Weapon Attack: reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage. If target is a humanoid, it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC is 8 + your Charisma Modifier + your proficiency) or be transformed into a lumpy space person by sundown. Biting people is like, so lumping uncool and should be like totally avoided, ok?

Languages. You can speak, read and write Common.

Nut Person

Nut people call the Duchy of Nuts their home. They are known to be a little nuts and look like any kind of nut you can think of from acorn to walnut.

Tough Nut. As a bonus action you can sit down in the middle of battle and use your hard nut shell to gain resistance to all damage. While in this state you can not take any other actions or move. You may exit your protective state at the cost of half your movement. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

Languages. You can speak, read and write Common.

Rainicorn

Rainicorns are from the Crystal Dimension and look like long, rainbow colored unicorn-like creatures.

Flight. You have a flying speed of 40 feet. To use this speed, you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor.

Phasing. You have the ability to phase through walls or carry people while phasing.

As an action, you can phase through an object less than 5 feet thick and must be able end your turn outside of the object.

As an action, you can move into the space occupied by an ally and phase them into your body, protecting them from harm. Phased allies can not take actions, but can consume half their movement to leave your body. All phased allies are ejected if you fall unconscious.

You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Chromatic Beam. As a bonus action, you can shoot a laser from your horn, changing the color of something nearby for 24 hours.

Languages. You can speak, read and write Korean, but you could wear a universal translator. You can read and write Common.

Robot

Robots are machines from long ago that are sentient mechanical constructs that can connect to the internet. They come in a variety of sizes and usually have backlit monitors that act as their faces. Robots will deny they have emotions, but most somehow develop distinct personalities and quirks.

Mechanical Construct. You are immune to disease. You do not need to eat or breathe, but you can pretend to eat food and drink if you wish, try not to make a mess. Instead of sleeping, you enter an inactive state for 4 hours each day to recharge. You do not dream in this state; you are fully aware of your surroundings and notice approaching enemies and other events as normal.

Dial Up. When you need information on a topic, you can spend 10 minutes to access the Internet to look up any topic, gaining advantage on your next Intelligence (History) check. You must be able to connect to the Internet and submit a query, which the Dungeon Master will respond to with results based on your roll.

Languages. You can speak, read and write Common and Machine Language.

There are countless possibilities for playable races (species) in an Adventure Time game. Some species that can be found in the setting that I haven’t provided stats for include Bees, Crystal, Demon, Ghost, Goblin, Hyooman, Ice or Vampire.

Shawn is an author and co-founder of Tribality.com. He first got into tabletop RPGs through ninjas and then by playing a Kender in Dragonlance. Years later, he can be found running games in the Nentir Vale and his own Seas of Vodari campaign setting.